Memory of you
by annieDD
Summary: Zoe has the time of her life traveling across time and space with a man she consideres her close friend. Unfortunately, for the sake of her safety, she not only has to return to her normal, everyday life, but she is forced to forget everything about him. What happens when she starts remembering? What if the whole of time and space aren't enough to keep them apart?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, I decided to write a Doctor Who fanfic. He is obviously not my creation, but Zoe, Oona and the rest of the Scott family are. I hope you enjoy the story. I'll update as soon as I can, since I'm writing a Game of Thrones fan fiction too. Feel free to check it out. And you know the drill, if you liked it, tell me, and if you don't like it, tell me. :) Enjoy :)**

**And, by the way, a little bit of intro. Zoe was traveling with the 9****th**** Doctor. And there will be some flash backs too. **

I poured myself a glass of red wine, made myself comfortable on the sofa, and turned the TV on, ready for the How I Met Your Mother marathon. Just another lonely Friday, just another Friday I stay at home because I barely have the strength to stay awake. If I carry on at this rate, I will have no social life at all.

But I'm too tired to care. I'm just going to worry about it some other day.

The doorbell rang just as the second episode started. I'm not expecting anyone, but I opened the door.

The first thing I saw was my sister, unconscious. And then I saw the man carrying her. It was him.

"Zoe!" I yelled, and I basically took her out of his arms. I could barely hold her." Is she OK? What the hell have you done to her?!" I asked, completely freaked out. He was helping me hold her.

"She fainted. I didn't hurt her if that's what you mean." He added, his voice anything but kind.

"Help me up, will you?" I asked, and he helped me carry her into the apartment. We put her down on the sofa, and I kneeled beside her head. She did not look OK. And I do not trust him, not one bit. I know she does, but I can see where that led her." What happened?" I asked, looking at her, and not at him.

"We were in the TARDIS and she just fainted on me." he said.

"I told her you were not right for her." I whispered, stroking my younger sister's hair." She never listens, does she?" I asked, not really wanting an answer.

"You're right." He said, and I looked at him in surprise. It was no secret that I didn't like him, I didn't like him at all. And I never really cared what he thinks about me. But I did not expect him to agree with me, not now, not ever." I'm bad for her. Every minute, every second that she's with me, she's in danger."

"Then why do you allow her to be close to you?" I asked.

"Because I didn't want to be without her, even if that was the right thing. She is my best friend. She is the most important person in my life." He said, and I could see in him that he is telling the truth. I did not understand my sister's infatuation with him, but at least now I could see that the feeling was mutual. As much as she cared for him, he cared for her too." But she is not safe. And I would rather lose her like this, than lose her for good." He said, and I frowned.

"I'm not sure I get that."

"I modified her memory." He said, and my mouth dropped.

"You did what?" I asked, but he did not respond." What gives you the right to do that?"

"Believe me, if I had another option, I wouldn't have done it. But this is what is best for her." He said.

"So… what, she won't remember anything?" I asked. Yes, give her amnesia, that's a brilliant idea!

"She won't remember me, but that's it. Everything else is intact." He assured me.

"So the past four months are going to be like a hole in her memory?" I asked, not quite understanding it.

"She's going to think that the past four months were just a regular four months of her life, with nothing that interesting in it. She might remember something, but she will consider it a dream, a nightmare. As long as she doesn't see me, hear of me, or remember me, she will be fine." He said.

"So, I pretend like you never existed?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. Hide or destroy anything that could remind her of me. And don't mention me." he warned me, like he was doubting my ability to do that. I don't think that we should be worried about that, I can keep my mouth shut. But I'm not sure if Zoe really is capable of forgetting him, and everything she saw. She told me about it. I may find this man scary, but I was fascinated with her stories, of different worlds, different beings, traveling anywhere and everywhere. I'll remember it, and I only heard the stories second hand. I'm not sure if she, who actually lived it, will ever be able to forget it.

"Do you think that it will actually work?" I asked.

"It should. She will not see me again, I guarantee." He said, and he took a deep breath. He touched her face and I could see the worry in his blue, frightening eyes. It lasted only a second. Then he had his mask back on again, and he looked at me." Keep her safe Oona. If I'm leaving her, I need to know that she is alright." He said, and I nodded.

"Of course. You don't have to worry about that." I said, and I slowly got up on my feet." I'll never say a word to her, even if I doubt this will work."

"It will." He reassured me. And I remembered something Zoe once told me. He may be a mad man, a mad Time Lord with the talent of getting himself into trouble, but he is always right. She reassured me of that time and time again. And I suppose this is the time for me to trust her." Goodbye Oona." He said.

"Goodbye Doctor." I said, and walked him over to the door. Even for me, it felt final as I closed the door behind him. I walked over to the window and I could see him entering his blue police phone box. Seconds after he closed the door of the TARDIS behind him, he was gone. Gone for good.

Zoe would be sad, and I would feel bad about it. But now, she won't remember a thing. And sadly, I think that that's the way it should be. She's safer this way. And I prefer not to worry about her life every single day.

I covered her with a blanket, and I tucked her in. Then, I did as the Doctor told me to. I walked around the apartment, picking up anything that could remind her of him. Of course, I had a lot of work in her room. I found an empty box under her bed, and I filled it with her memories. The pictures, the souvenirs, everything that could remind her of him. I had to hide her drawings too, since her favorite inspiration was the Doctor, and the worlds the two of them had visited. I also had to hide her diary. I have never read it, so I don't know if she mentions him, but I'm sure she does. I can't be taking any chances.

Once I filled the box, I took it to my room, and hid it under my bed. She would never look there.

She was still unconscious, but she didn't look hurt in any way. She only looked exhausted. I called Paige and Thomas. I needed to tell them about this, since I'm not the only family member who knew about her adventures. Paige, as always, took it calmly and promised she won't mention him. Tom, on the other hand, whined how it's not fair, but ultimately realized he doesn't really have a choice. He was hoping that someday he would travel with them. And he probably would have, but plans change.

And people change too. I can only hope my sister is the same person, even without the Doctor in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of Bon Jovi's You give love a bad name woke me up. I managed to turn the alarm of without opening my eyes. I don't understand the point of getting up early if I'm my own boss. But still, I do it, every single day apart from Sunday.

I got up, washed my face, pulled my hair up in a ponytail, and made my way to the kitchen, avoiding my two older sisters as I did so. None of the three of us is considered friendly before we have our coffee.

Oona is the eldest of the four. She's an interior designer and the voice of reason amongst us. Smart and responsible, rarely allows herself to have some fun. Paige is usually the quiet one, but when she speaks, her voice carries. She's an observer in a way. It goes with her job description, a school counselor. And she is also the best advice giver ever. She and I share the curse of the middle child. Thomas is the youngest, only 20-years-old. He's the only sibling that's not also my roommate, since he's studying at Uni, and I'm happy for that, because he is mental. He is loud, and funny, and irresponsible, and the three of us worry about him on a daily basis. But we love him to bits.

And then there's me. The odd one out. The creative one, the artist, the writer, and the painter, the one that makes a mess everywhere I go. The four of us couldn't be more different. And yet, we get along. I don't know why, I don't know how and I don't dare question it, but we truly get along.

We lost our parents six years ago in a car accident. But somehow, we managed to keep it together. Mostly because of Tom. He was only 14 at the time, and the three of us needed to be strong, even if we felt like crying and whining most of the time.

Even though I would be capable to do anything for them, I always felt like something was missing from my life. I enjoyed doing what I love, I had an awesome family, great friends, a couple of boys along the way. Everything was just the way it should be, and yet, there was this vacant feeling I could never really identify. And it's not exactly something new, I remembered feeling it ever since I was a little girl.

I never could stayed at one place for too long. That's why I'm 24, and the longest relationship I ever had lasted only six months. Paige said I had commitment issues, and I did not try to deny it.

For a couple of minutes, the three of us sipped our coffee in silence. And finally, it was safe to speak.

"What are you up to today?" Oona asked me, and I sighed.

"I have a meeting with Matt. He's probably just going to try to urge me to write something. You would expect for an editor to understand that writing a book isn't always easy."

"I'm sure it isn't, but he does have a deadline." Paige said with a small smile.

"He does, I don't. I would rather take my time than write some sort of crap that I don't feel good about."

"Zoe, you never feel good about your writing." Oona said, and the three of us laughed. She's right. I always find my writing to be crap. But this was something different.

"Still, I don't want him hovering over me as I try to create something." I said.

"That's his job, so you might as well stop complaining." Paige said.

"Easy for you to say, you're a high school counselor!" I said. It's not fair. Her job is easy!

"Yeah, you try dealing with raging hormones on a daily basis, and then we can talk about what's easy and what's not." She said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, you try creating an imaginary world in your head, and then putting it down to paper and making it believable." I said. Everyone thinks that being a writer is easy. Sometimes, when you have inspiration, it is easy. But you have to make it believable, and it needs to be constant. You need to live in the world you create, and that is not easy, especially if you have things to deal with in your real life.

I like to think I have a dream job. I am my own boss, I work only for myself, and I have an opportunity to let people escape in the world of hopes and dreams that I created. I think like that most of the time. But for the rest of the time, I am scared, and critical and completely crazy. And it is definitely not easy.

"Oh come on." Oona said, the perpetual peace maker in the family." You are going to be late for work." She said, her finger pointed at Paige." And you shouldn't get pissed of that easily considering you'll have to deal with that idiot today." She said, and now her finger was pointed at me. She's right. Matt is going to ruin my day, that's for sure. It might as well be a good day before he ruins it.

"You're right." Paige said, and I nodded." I'd better get ready."

We drank our coffee, and the two of them left for another day in the office. And I pointlessly walked around our apartment.

I've been trying to find inspiration for a while now. But for months, I have nothing. Sure, I try writing, but I give up before I finish one God damn page. If this continues, I'm gonna lose it. I will convince myself that I can't write anymore, and then, I can kiss my career goodbye.

I've done everything! I listen to good music that inspires me almost every time, I went to the countryside for a couple of days, completely cut off from the rest of the world, and I was sleeping whenever I felt like it. I did all of the things that usually work for me, but nothing.

Not only am I not writing, but I don't even have an idea. Right now, I am beyond screwed.

"Focus Zoe." I said to myself, staring in my mirror reflection. I was taking deep breaths. Nothing.

Maybe I just need to get rid of negative energy? Yeah, that's it.

I tried to get rid of it doing what I always do. Jumping and dancing around my bedroom like a complete idiot. Here I am, dancing like a drunken monkey while listening to Sugababes. And nothing. Absolutely nothing.

The way I see it, I have two choices now. I can either cry my eyes out, or get ready for my meeting with Matt. I pick the latter.

After a quick shower, I put on my jeans and a white tunic. Wanting to keep things at least a little bit professional, I also put on a black blazer. I put my hair up in a messy bun, and as I was applying my make up, I tried to calm myself down. Whatever happens today, it will be over soon. I only have to look at Matt's face for a little while. It will all be over before I know it.

WT was my first and only publishing house. It was pure luck really. I sent my novel to them, they loved it, bought it, and my first book, Lonely Boy, was published. It became a bestseller. As much as I enjoyed meeting people who love to get lost in the world I created, I was not happy as much as I hoped I will be. Maybe it has something to do with my lack of inspiration to write anything else. Or, maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with my editor being a handsome, self-centered idiot and pain in my ass.

Before I knew it, I was on the seventh floor, the one that belonged to WT.

"Is he alone?" I asked a girl that was Matt's assistant last time I was here. She nodded, and I walked into his office, without even knocking. He looked surprised to see me.

"Donald, I'm gonna have to call you back." He said, as he was speaking to someone, apparently Donald." Yeah. Talk to you later." He said, and he hung up the phone. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

"I wish I could say the same." I said, a sour smile on my lips.

"What are you doing here Zoe?" he asked, and I raised my eyebrows.

"We had a meeting scheduled, remember?" I asked.

"Yes, yes we did." He said, and he sat on the edge of his desk." But still, I'm surprised to see you, since you've been avoiding me for the past six months." He said, anger very much noticeable in his voice.

"Oh, it's nothing personal." I lied, taking a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk." I was just… preoccupied." I said, and he laughed.

"With what?"

"You know, the usual. Doing yoga, drinking wine, listening to Dido." I said.

"And I don't suppose you actually wrote something and brought it to me?" he asked.

"No. Nope. Nada. Nein. Sorry." I said. The sad thing is that I truly am sorry, even if I'm being sarcastic.

"For heaven's sake Zoe!" he whined, and I took in a deep breath." People are waiting."

"Despite what you might think, Matt, I would like for my writers block to end as much as you would. I'm trying. I really am." I said. Matt may be a dick, but one thing he knows how to do. He really is good at his job. I only wish that he gives me enough space for me to be good at mine.

"Zoe, I don't think you understand. People want to read what you write. People want a sequel. People want a saga. People want a movie. People want a completely different story too." he said.

"Well, I'm trying to work on a different story. And as for the sequel, I don't want it. I don't feel that it's the right thing to do, and I do not want to force it. If one day I do decide to write it, it will be only because I am sure of it. As for the movie… I'm not sure I want it. You know it's not about the money. I would rather not sell the movie rights, than live for months, years even, in complete fear that someone would ruin the world I created." I said. We had this conversation times and times before. He should have known by now that I'm not giving in. And if one day I do give in, it won't be because he persuaded me.

"Zoe, it's all about the saga's." he said.

"I know. That's exactly why I don't want to do it." I said.

"You are crazy." He said, and I shrugged. Maybe I am." I know it's not about the money and that is not why I'm trying to convince you. You have a good story in your hands, and plenty of different directions it could go in. And a sequel, or sequels are the solutions. You could… You could kill of Nikki." He said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I yelled, taken aback with what he just said." Why would I do that?" I asked.

"If you kill her off, you will have a heart broken Ethan, and another sad girl can fix him." He said. And here I thought that he understands my novel." It's all about the killing Zoe. Martin started it. J K followed, and now, I believe, you're the only young adult writer who isn't killing of half the characters."

"First of, stop it with the young adult thing. I have children and grown people reading my books too. I am not making myself a pattern that I will follow. And you can forget about the whole killing off idea. I'm not going to do it because it's cool. If a character needs to go, they will go, but I will not start killing off random characters so that I could follow the better and more experienced writers than myself."

"You're going to ruin yourself Zoe." He said.

"Remind me again, why did I sleep with you?"

"The first time or the second time? Probably because I'm devilishly handsome." He said with a grin.

"No, I think I would call it a drunken mistake and an enormous lapse in judgment." I said with a smile.

"You weren't drunk the second time." he said, and I hate to admit, but he is right.

"True. I was only sad and pathetic then." I said, and he rolled his eyes. We may bicker a lot, but I do still believe that we're a good match. Professional, that is. I hate his guts, but he understands my writing. Most of the time.

"Zoe, I believe in you." He said. He seems honest enough." And in your stories. At least think about a sequel. Your readers would love it. And don't throw away the movie idea." He said.

"Matt, I'm not making a franchise here." I said.

"Just, stop thinking about that for a second!" he yelled. Well, that's a surprise." Pleas, write. I don't know how, but get rid of that block as soon as you can. Both of our asses are in danger here." He said. Great, now I feel guilty." Do what you do best, alright?" he asked.

"I'm trying. And I will continue trying." I said, and he nodded.

"You have a book signing tomorrow. And the day after that. Now that I finally caught you, you'll do it." he said. I will not complain there. I enjoy the signings and meeting tons of interesting people.

"Is that all?" I asked and he nodded." Well, see you tomorrow." I said, and I started walking away.

"And Zoe?" he asked, and I turned around." Please, write." He said. I rolled my eyes as I continued walking out of his office. Like I'm not trying.

On my way back to the apartment, I stopped to buy coffee. And I was stopped by two teenage girls who wanted my autograph. I happily obliged. Even if I'm not in my happy place, that is the least I can do.

My head was in the clouds, and I suppose that is why I ran into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said, happy that my coffee wasn't all over me and the blond I ran into.

"It's all right." She replied with a small smile. I almost walked into the man beside her, but I took a step back before I could hit him. I smiled shyly, and walked away. I really should pay more attention.

**Chapter 2 is done! I hope you like what I did with Zoe, her sisters and the pain in the ass named Matt. As you could see, I imagine Zoe as Nina Dobrev, and I see Matt as… well, maybe Sam Claflin. If you don't know them, look them up. It's nice to have a face with the name. And yes, Zoe just ran into Rose and the 10****th**** Doctor. I'll update as soon as I can, since I'm dividing my time between this one, and the GoT story, To love and to fight. I hope you enjoyed it so far :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok guys, it's been a rough start with this one. But I'm gonna keep going. And I apologize, I forgot to mention that English isn't my first language, and you may find some stupid mistakes, but I do my best. Hope you enjoy :)**

Book signings were never easy, but they are one of my favorite parts of the job. Sure, my hand hurts like hell, but nothing makes me happier than talking to people who understand my work. And I'm easily pleased. If you give me a cup of coffee and a cigarette break every now and then, I can go for hours.

"Hi." I said with a smile as one girl, about 15-years-old approached me, a book in her hands.

"Hello." She said, her voice shaking." I'm sorry, I have to ask, will you write a sequel?" she asked, and I swear, I could hear Matt snort laughter behind my back. If it were him, there would be at least 10 books.

"For now, the answer is no, but I'm not closing any doors." I said, and she handed me the book." What's your name?" I asked, and signed the book, once she told me her name was Nina. I try and write something different whenever I have another book in front of me. For Nina, it was lots of love. And I mean it. It may be cheesy, but if it wasn't for Nina and for the rest of them, I wouldn't be here now.

"The story is good as it is." Someone said, and I looked up to see that it was the man who was next in line." I'm sorry, I overheard what the girl asked you. A sequel would be… Fantastic. But if you decide not to do it, Lonely Boy alone will be just as great." He said, and I smiled.

"It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who thinks that way." I said." And what's your name?" I asked as he handed me the book.

"John Smith." He said, and I started writing." I have to tell you, the way you explain the complexity of the characters is… it's art." He said, and I smiled. I felt extremely proud of myself now.

"Thank you so much John." I said and he smiled back at me. _To John, thank you for the kind words and for making my day a whole lot better. It's the people like you that remind me why it is worth it. Thank you. Lots of love, Zoe Scott. _

"Thank you Zoe." He said as I handed him the book. I smiled at him once again, and then turned my head to the little boy behind him. Sadly, I never get a chance to talk to them in person for too much, but we do have a Q & A occasionally. Today it was just signing and signing and a little more signing.

By the end of the three hour signing, I couldn't feel my hand anymore. I forgot what that was like.

"This was a good day's work." Matt announced, a smile on his face. I raised my eyebrows." What do you say we go out for a drink and celebrate?" He asked. Oh, so that's what he's up to.

"Sorry, I try not to drink this early in the day. Not with you anyway." I said, and he rolled his eyes.

"Tonight then?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"I think I will be writing tonight actually." I said, and he started laughing.

"You're good." He said, and I just shrugged. I guess I am. I used his own weapon against him. And he should know I'm not giving in anymore. I made a mistake, not once, but twice. Third time would be the most idiotic thing I could have done. And I don't plan on doing it anymore.

"See you in six months." I said and I walked away before he could yell something at me.

I did have plans for tonight. I will be hidden in my room, with some hot chocolate, a pack of cigarettes, and hopefully, my head full of ideas.

I made lunch for myself and my sisters, and left it for them to reheat. I also left a note, Do not bother, writing in progress. And I went to my room, also known as my shelter.

I have to write something today. I don't care if it's shitty. I just need to write something. If it's bad, I'll delete it later, but I need to get the words flowing.

The words are easy. Ideas are difficult. In which way do I want to go? Science fiction? I'm too scared to do that. And I'm not sure if I have enough strength to write another troubled teen main character. Vampires, vampire hunters, dystopian societies, medieval imaginary worlds, ghosts, fallen angels, even zombies, it's all been done before! Yes, I love science fiction, but how on earth will I find something that I haven't read before, that wasn't already used? It's all been done before. This needs to be original.

It has to be something with magic. Magic could give me a whole lot of ideas I could work with. And I want a female lead this time. I want a strong girl. And maybe her younger brother. Yes, a girl and her brother get into trouble, big time. Names… I'll think of that later, naming is easy. Well, usually.

I need to put some magic into it. A magical mirror? No, too simple. Wardrobe, definitely not, too much Narnia. A book? No, that's just… bad. A door? A door is a bit obvious. But, it's all about the obvious, isn't it? A big door, a big door that leads them into a world where I have no limitations. A big, blue door.

I have it. Blue door, probably in the attic of their new house. And that was it.

I only had the main ideas and the names. Emma and Joel, brother and sister who use a big blue door to travel into some sort of parallel universe that I am yet to think of.

At least I have an idea. Everything begins with an idea. Now I only need to make it work.

I was walking across my room time and time again, thinking of what I'm gonna do with them. I don't want it to be easy. And I don't want a revolution starting either. But if I only focus on the adventures, it will be more like a script, not a novel. Ugh, maybe I should just write for a TV show or something.

I jumped on the bed. As I was tired, both physically and mentally, I feel asleep soon enough.

I dreamt of the blue door. I was standing in the dark, looking at the blue door. And I opened it. First, I walked into some sort of Victorian period. I couldn't walk around, I couldn't move away from the door. Then again, all was black, only the blue door was in front of me. This time, I was under water. And I could breath. I didn't move away from the door, because I still couldn't do that, but I was clearly at the bottom of an ocean, or a sea. I opened the door several times, and each and every time, I could only take one step into the magical world ahead of me.

I woke up suddenly, covered with sweat and gasping for air.

This was… worrying. I never dreamt about my stories. I thought about them more than enough when I was awake. This was something different, and I'm not sure if I liked it.

Dumbledore wisely said, It's not good to dwell on dreams. But, he also said, and I remember it clearly, that in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let them swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud. God, I just hate it when Dumbledore's advice makes me feel even worse.

I walked past my sisters in the living room, and went straight to the kitchen, to the fridge and to the bottle of wine. I poured myself a glass, and went back to the living room to join them.

"Long day?" Paige asked, and I nodded.

"Too much Matt and weird, freakish dreams with lots of blue doors." I said. The two of them looked at each other, and I got all defensive at once." What, are you gonna say that that is some sort of defensive mechanism of my brain and that I should try and find my inner self?" I asked.

"No, it's just a strange dream." Oona said. Wow, and I just jumped on them for nothing.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so stressed out. People keep pressuring me to write, and that is not something that goes on command. Especially not in my case. I'm not good under pressure." I said.

"Zoe, don't be afraid to take your time. They can't exactly make you write a book." Paige said.

"That's true. I say, fuck them. I'm going to work at my own pace, and they will have to wait for me. And we are going out tonight." I announced, a big smile on my face.

"Are we?" Oona asked, looking confused.

"Yes, we are. We're going to celebrate my independence." I said, and they laughed. I'm the biggest party maniac of the three of us, and don't go out that often. The two of them are like grannies. But they did agree on going out tonight.

So much for writing.

Well, I won't get drunk, and I do write much better in the middle of the night. So I will write when we get home.

My head was in my big closet, looking for my favorite navy blue dress that I couldn't seem to find at all these past few months. I have no idea where the hell it is. And I know I didn't borrow it to Oona or Paige, since we always return each other's clothes as soon as they're clean.

I can't find it anywhere. After a solid 15 minutes looking for it in the dark corners of my closet, I decided to give up, and wear an emerald green dress instead. As I pulled it from the hanger, I knocked down some other clothes. My favorite coat and a black leather coat. I picked up the leather coat, confused. I don't have a leather coat. And now that I see it, it's a man's leather coat. Why would I have that here?

Maybe somebody forgot it? I'm not sure if I'd seen any of my male friends wearing a leather coat, and Tom was not wearing it for sure.

Could this day get any weirder? I put the coat back in the closet. I'm just… not going to question it. And if someone doesn't ask for it anytime soon, I will give it to the Red Cross. I wouldn't look good in it.

First I can't find my diary. And I was very fond of it. I write in it almost on a daily basis, only sometimes I forget. I have a box full of my old diaries, and then I just lose this one. I had to buy a new one, but still, I couldn't rewrite those 8 months in a new one. And after I realized my diary was missing, I also couldn't find my favorite dress. And it's not only the dress. Almost half of my wardrobe is gone. And I didn't even tell Oona and Paige about it. It was easy to dismiss it as my mind playing tricks on me.

But now I find a coat I've never seen before in my life. I don't know. I'll suggest we switch locks on the door. You can never be too safe. Especially when you do have a reason to worry.

We had a change of plans. No clubs, only a beer in a pub. So we didn't dress up, and I returned all of the dresses back where they belong.

It was just another regular girl's night. I mean, we live together, it's not like we have to catch up. I was complaining about the pressure and the lack of inspiration, Oona was talking about this big house she has to redecorate, and Paige was talking about the new history teacher who she's going on a date with tomorrow night.

I wonder how long will we live together. So far, it was working more than well for us. I suppose we will part our ways as roommates once one of us is in a stable, long term relationship. Paige is the closest to it, and she hasn't even gone on a date with the guy! We just have bad luck I guess, us Scott girls. We either get heart broken, or we just don't try at all. It's been that way ever since we started dating.

As soon as we got home, Oona and Paige went to sleep, since they both work from eight tomorrow. And I made myself comfortable in front of the computer.

I finally started writing. I finally had a beginning, a starting point. Cigarette after a cigarette, word by word and I had the first chapter done. Emma and Joel, brother and sister, move with their widowed father in an old house in the English countryside. And that was it. If I continue working on it, like I plan to, they will find the blue door by the end of the week.

I heard Oona and Paige walking around the apartment, and I decided it was finally time for some sleep. It's almost seven. But that is a writer's life. I pull all-nighters whenever I feel the wave of inspiration is falling over me.

Tired and exhausted, I almost cried tears of joy when my head finally hit the pillow. I only hope I don't have those freaky dreams anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

My head was killing me. It hurts so bad that I imagine that an axe to the brain would hurt less than this. I got up, and grabbed the green box on my desk in which I keep my medicine. Usually, it is in the bathroom, but lately, my headaches were a force to be reckoned with. They torture me at least once a week for the past couple of months. I should really go and see a doctor. Too bad that I'm as lazy as I am.

It's only seven o' clock. Torn between trying to go back to sleep or getting up for good, I decided to cuddle with my pillow for a little while. I grabbed my phone, and decided to check my twitter page. I was surprised to see that the notifications part was more than full. I usually have something waiting for me, since I tend to be in touch with the fans as much as I can. I know what it feels like. I was a teenager once, wishing desperately for a chance to talk to one of my literature idols. And now I know them. Well, the once that are alive. I don't exactly have tea with Bronte, or visit the Globe with Shakespeare.

Curios, I opened the notifications. Oh God. I can't believe I forgot.

I am the only person alive that is capable of forgetting her own birthday.

I will thank the people once the day is over. I suppose there will be a lot more Happy Birthday's.

Oona and Paige hadn't forgotten. I know that. They have probably already made some plans with Tom, some sort of party or something. Even though they know I'm not exactly a fan of my birthday, they still insist on celebrating it. And I just go with it, not wanting to hurt their feelings.

Knowing that I couldn't avoid it for much longer, I walked out of my room. I went to the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday!" Oona and Paige yelled simultaneously, and I smiled. Before I could even say thank you, the two of them were hugging me. When they let go of me, I could see that they had prepared well for this. 24 cupcakes were on waiting for me, each one of them with a candle. And they were all different shades of blue. They're my sisters; of course they know what my favorite color is.

"Thank you guys, you shouldn't have bothered." I said, but both of them were shaking their heads.

"Of course we should. It's your birthday. You only get those like, once a year." Paige said.

"How insightful from you Paige." I said, and we laughed." I hope that this is it." I said. Well, I begged.

"Not exactly." Oona said, and then she saw the look on my face." Don't worry! Tom will come over today and the four of us will do something fun. What do you feel like doing?" she asked.

"Getting drunk in my pajamas while listening to Spandau Ballet or something?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Paige said, a huge smile on her face, and Oona was still laughing.

The two of them left for work. Finally, my medicine started working and my headache was gone. I ate one of the cupcakes. Oona and Paige made me blow the candles. I felt like a child, but it wasn't exactly a bad feeling. I suppose that on our birthdays we get the right to act like we're still kids.

Well, something good was happening today. My inspiration mode was on. I was writing like a maniac. And I even had the callus on my right hand, which reappears every time I decide to type like a crazy person. And I did that now. I was even sitting on two chairs.

Not only did I start to develop the story with the door that brings you to all sorts of parallel universes, but I started working on a sequel for Lonely Boy.

Yes, I betrayed myself. But I was writing it only for myself. If I do come up with something useful, I might consider publishing it, but for now, I'm writing it only for myself.

I was going at it full on when the doorbell rang. Irritated, I went to open it, looking like a complete mess, in my pajamas, hair in a messy bun on the top of my head, glasses on, cigarette between the teeth. And when I opened the door, I saw a clown.

I screamed, and my cigarette ended on the floor. I jumped to pick it up before it makes a hole in the carpet that Oona picked out especially for the hallway. It could be a pain in the ass living with an interior designer. But the only think that I could think of was the clown in front of me. It was wearing jeans, a black shirt, and it was only a clown mask. Still, it was more than enough to freak me out. I hate clowns, ever since I was a kid. I hate, hate, hate them. And my baby brother knew that better than anyone.

"Happy birthday sis!" Tom yelled and pulled back the mask, a big, idiotic grin on his face.  
>"Fuck off." I said, still angry and freaked out. But I should have expected something like this from him.<p>

"Come on, is that how you greet your brother?" he asked as I was walking away from him.

"Yes, when he surprises me like that." I said, and I heard him laughing. I turned around and waited for him to close the door." You shouldn't have done it. You know I hate clowns." I said, and he smiled.

"I'm sorry, I thought you would laugh." He said, and I rolled my eyes. He knew I was going to scream like a Banshee. As much as I love my little brother, he can be annoying as hell." But seriously now, happy birthday." He said. I managed a smile, and he came over to hug me. Even though he's an idiot, I missed him. He's off at Scotland most of the time, and I rarely get a chance to see him. But he does use his free time to come and visit us in London. The way I see it, if one of us girls surprisingly ends up in a good long term relationship, and move in with a guy, he might actually take her place in the apartment. Or mine, but I doubt that I will be the one who's in a relationship.

"I've missed you, you ass." I said, and he laughed. I pulled away from the hug. "How long will you be staying here?" I said, actually hoping that it's more than one weekend.

"You'll have to put up with me for a week." He said, and I smiled." What were you doing just now, you look like you fell out of a bad rom com." He said, and I started laughing. I put off the cigarette.

"I was in a middle of a writing sprint. Sorry if I seemed pissed off. But your hideous mask didn't help."

"I've said I'm sorry!" he said, and I smiled. I couldn't stay mad at him for too long, no matter what he does." If you were writing, do it now. Don't stop." He said.

"Tom, you just got here. And even I find this hard to believe, but I missed you." I said and he laughed.

"I'll be here when you're done. Oona is planning some sort of stay at home party tonight, we will catch up then. And you'll be sick of me by tomorrow. Go, write. I'll sleep, I've been driving for hours." He said.

"OK. You have some birthday cupcakes in the kitchen, you know where everything is, and please, no porn. And if you do that, delete the history." I said, and he started laughing.

"Did you really think I didn't bring my lap top?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"I've missed you, you little ass." I said and I hugged him once again." Where are your stuff?" I asked once I noticed that he didn't bring anything with him apart from that stupid mask.

"In the car, I'll go down to get them." he said.

"Well, you do have the keys, go for it. If you need anything, you'll find me in the fantasy land." I said.

"Oh, that's what you call it now? I thought you called it a creative mess, AKA your untidy room."

"How many times do you want to hear me telling you to fuck off?" I asked, and we both laughed. He flipped me off, and I flipped him off right back as I was going to my room. An ass. But a lovable ass.

I didn't feel like writing anymore, and the only reason that I stayed in my room was because I knew that Tom needs his rest. It's a long drive from St. Andrews to London, and I don't envy him.

So, since my inspiration decided to lay low, I used the time to get my room a bit more tidier. I don't know how long I can use the "it's a creative mess" as an excuse. And I was hoping of finding some of my stuff that mysteriously vanished. I didn't have much luck. Even if I wasn't writing, I was still thinking of the story. And every once in a while, I had an idea, a good sentence, and I wrote it down in one of my notebooks who's only purpose is to be by my side in case of a sudden wave of inspiration.

I gave up on the cleaning soon enough. It's the thought that counts, right? Instead, I wrote down my daily entry in my diary. Bored beyond belief, I decided that Tom has had his rest, and I joined him in the living room. We spend the afternoon watching soap's on the TV. He wouldn't let me cook, and instead we ordered pizza. It was good to have him back. I missed him more than I thought I did.

"So… What's going on with Hilary?" I asked. He and his girlfriend have been on and off ever since he got to St. Andrews. And Tom really hit the jackpot. Not only is Hilary a nice girl, but he has three awesome older sisters who give him good advices. Sadly, he can be an idiot, and doesn't always listen.

"And what about your love life?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes. But he has a good point. Who am I to judge?" I left St. Andrews with a bang. She apparently things I'm planning to sleep around in London."

"And are you planning to?" I asked.

"No." he said, surprised I would even ask. I shrugged. You never know. "That is not my M. O." he said.

"I'm sorry, but if there's no trust between the two of you, you should stop wasting your time. if she thinks that you will cheat on her, and you don't plan on doing it, she clearely doesn't trust you. By now you're just milking a dead cow." I said.

"Milking a what now?" Tom asked, and I laughed.

"A dead cow. It's an expression. Wasting your time, doing something completely useless." I explained.

"Oh." He said, and frowned." Aren't all girls like that?" He said, and I shook my head. Hilary is his only serious relationship, I know that much. I'm sure he snogged some girls, but there was no commitment.

"No, not all girls are like that." I said with a small smile." Look, I know I don't have a successful track record with relationship, but that's only because I'm weird. Not because I smothered a guy to death. In my opinion, you should have your freedom, even if you're in a committed relationship. I would never give my boyfriend a hard time because he's going to another town to see his sisters" I said.

"Yeah, that's what Chloe said." he said, and I laughed.

"Maybe you wouldn't have these kind of problems if you hadn't friendzoned her." I said.  
>"I did not!" He said, a bit too defensive for it to be believable." You're unbelievable. And here I almost forgot why you were my least favorite sister!" He yelled, and I was laughing like crazy.<p>

The bad part is that he didn't even register that I was right. Chloe has been his friend ever since they were kids. She basically grew up with us, and she basically followed him to university. As cute as Hilary seemed, I was team Chloe. But I suppose that I will take time until Tom figures that out.

Oona and Paige arrived together, carrying a giant gift between them. It was my birthday present from the three of them. Of course, I insisted that they shouldn't have spent their time and money, but it was useless. And the gift was pretty awesome too. They know me well, so they bought me books. Some of them I have, some of them I don't have, but in my opinion, I could never have enough books. And now, I got about a hundred of them.

I was surprised to see that they took my wish seriously. We ordered some more pizza, got drunk and listened to Spandau Ballet. That can only last for so long. Eventually, we ended up singing a karaoke version of Bohemian Rhapsody. And we sucked. We all sucked. None out of the four of us can sing. What we do is mostly yell the song lyrics, and sometimes we even get them wrong. We're bad singers.

Not wanting to torture the neighbors any longer, we eventually sat down and talked, drinking some more wine. When it comes to wine, you can never have enough.

"Oh, I forgot." Oona said suddenly, and she reached for her bag." I have one more present for you."

"You shouldn't have Oona." I said, but I did accept the small box she put into my hand. I opened, and I pulled out a simple, silver chain, which had a key dangling on the other end. "A key necklace?" I asked, completely confused. I'm glad she didn't spend too much money, but what am I supposed to do with this?" Is this the apartment key or something?" I asked.

"No, it's just a key." She said, and Paige and Tom started laughing at my expression." Oh come on, you wear strange necklaces all the time. I found it at a flea market and it reminded me for you. It could be your new good luck charm." She said. Well, when she puts it like that, it is a cool gift.

"Thank you sis." I said, and I hugged her. " Now, are we gonna sing some more Queen, or should we call it a night?" I asked as I put the key necklace around my neck.

"Don't. Stop. Me noooooow…" Tom began, and we laughed. Karaoke it is.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yes, this story is not going as well as I hoped it would :D But I have patience. And I will keep writing. I'm not sure if I mentioned, English isn't my first language, so forgive me for some mistakes I didn't catch. Love you all :) Keep reading :)**

I woke up with a scream. I'm not sure why, since the dream I had was not scary. It was just strange.

I dreamt of a man I had never seen before. I remember reading somewhere that we only dream people we actually saw or met. Either that is complete crap, or I have seen this man and passed by him without giving him a second glance. He was a stranger. With beautiful eyes, but still, a stranger.

And that isn't the strangest part of the dream. He was my friend. I acted around him the way I act around Tom, like he was my brother, or at least my best mate.

My mind is playing tricks on me yet again.

It was noon. I have slept about six hours, and for me, that is more than enough. I got up, got dressed, had my "morning" coffee, and then made Tom join me on my walk around London. He didn't feel like it, but I made him, using my we never get to see each other excuse.

And now we're roaming the streets, he's complaining, and I'm taking photos like a maniac.

To me, it was never just writing. I am very good at painting, and photography too. I usually don't leave the apartment without my camera. One of my closest friends, Mike, has a darkroom in his house, as he is a photographer, and I often come by and we work together. This time, I was using a digital camera.

"I know you're into this hippy, artsy crap, but I'm not." Tom complained, and I laughed. "Artsy crap". It may be crap to him, but this is one of the ways I earn for a living. Compared to him, I am an artsy hippy. He and his fancy buissnes school. I wonder how people take him seriously. Maybe he's like Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. He changes into a goofy idiot when he's not at school or something. "Why couldn't we just grab a cup of coffee or something?" He whined.

"Because we both just had coffee. And besides, it's a beautiful day." I said, and I snapped my camera at him. I love taking pictures of people, capturing them in their everyday movements. I always find spontaneous photos far better than the staged ones, with posing. These ones were genuine, real.

"Then we should go to the park. I will sit on a bench as you run around, and when we come back to the apartment, you will get a treat, and I will ask who's a good girl?" he suggested, and I started laughing.

"Don't be an ass Tom." I said. I was in a good mode today. And nothing he says can make angry." Let's just enjoy the weather, the sun and the beauty of this amazing city that we live in?" I asked.

"You live in. I live in Scotland now." He said, and I rolled my eyes. At that moment, I felt pain. It felt like Thor himself hit me with his hammer on the head. I wasn't expecting it, and therefore, I didn't have a control of my reactions. Tom could see that I was in pain." Are you alright?" he asked me.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I said, reassuring him. It didn't work. I'm not sure if I was lying to him or to myself." I just have a head ache." I reassured him once again, and I opened my bag to find some medicine.

"This is my third day here and the third time I see you taking some pills." He said in a worried tone.

"Did you forget that I had a hangover yesterday?" I asked, as I was fishing for the bottle of water in my huge bag. Every woman needs a big bag, and every woman was lost at least once in her big bag.

"You didn't drink at all last night." He said. Damn. I do hate it when he notices things.

"I have headaches a lot, OK?" I asked, hoping he will finally drop it." Ah, there you are." I said as I pulled out the bottle from my bag. I took the pill, and return put the other ones and the bottle in the bag." It's no big deal. It's something acute or something." I said, clearly decreasing the seriousness of it all. I was trying to convince him that it's nothing, when in fact I'm starting to worry that it's something.

"Promise me you'll go and see a doctor." He said, and I laughed it off.

"I haven't been to a doctor since I was in school. I don't even have a doctor." I said.

"Well, since you almost yelled out of pain, I suggest you find one." He said, and I sighed. He is right. I will not be able to ignore it much longer. And the longer I ignore it, the chances are that the problem will get even bigger and more serious. Even though I do still think that this is just something I'm prone to.

"If I promise you I'll see a doctor, will you finally calm down about it?" I asked, and he nodded." Fine. Let's walk then. And don't whine, we'll be home soon enough." I added, once I could see that he was just about to complain. Seriously, if I can handle this with a horrible headache, so can he.

**OONA**

"Hi guys." I said as I walked into the apartment." Well, guy." I corrected myself once I could see that only Tom was in the living room, and Paige and Zoe were nowhere to be seen.

"Zoe's in her room, and Paige is making lunch." He explained." How was work?" he asked me.

"Good enough." I answered. " I prefer when people give me the permission to do with their living space whatever the hell I want, but I can handle a needy client." I said, and he smiled. Of course, I love to have no limits, when it comes to creativity and budget. But I've been working as an interior designer for a while now. I know that's not the way things usually go, and I have learned that you should let your clients buy I hideous carpet, even if you know that they would get sick of it after a month.

"A rich bitch?" Tom asked, and I nodded with a smile on my face." Well, you could always handle those types." He said, and I laughed. True. The four of us were middle class children who earned their fortune the harder way. We're not filthy rich, but we have more than enough. Enough that we get to pay for Tom's school, and that Paige gets to do the job she loves, and that doesn't pay nearly enough as it should. We are a family, and that's how we see things. We stick together, and we share the money.

"And what did you do today?" I asked as I took a seat on the couch.

"Zoe made me join her for a walk." He said, and I laughed. I could never understand why he didn't like doing that. Paige and I both enjoy walking around the city, with Zoe taking photos every few seconds." I wanted to talk to you about something." He said, and I nodded." We need Paige too." he said, and he yelled her name. So, we're talking about Zoe. This should be interesting.

"Yeah?" Paige asked from the door, and Tom pointed at the couch." Hurry up, I'll burn the rice."

"I think Zoe has a problem." He said in a low voice. I suppose because he doesn't want her to hear us." She's been taking medicine ever since I got here. She has serious headaches." He whispered.

"A staged intervention, to make her go to a doctor?" Paige suggested, and I nodded. She has been complaining for a while now. She should check it out, and not just take pills every single day.

"Yeah, well, the problem is that I don't think that just any kind of doctor will do." Tom said.

"The Doctor?" Paige asked in a whisper, and he nodded.

"No." I answered." He told me specifically that we shouldn't mention anything to her."

"And what if he's wrong?" Tom asked." It wouldn't be the first time. You heard the stories too."

"You think it has something to do with what he did to her?" Paige asked.

"Come one. Headaches? Whipped memory? No recollection of him whatsoever? Is it really that hard to believe that that's connected?" Tom asked. I think he might be right. It has something to do with it.

"What do you suggest we do?" I asked, slightly irritated." He told me not to mention him, under any circumstances. He told me that she was in danger when she was with him. And even if we tell her, how on Earth will we find him? It's not like we have his number to call him and get him to fix her up."

"What he did was selfish." Tom said. He was pissed when I called him to tell him what happened. " How can you show all those worlds to a girl, make her happy, let her have fun, and then throw her away and take away all of her memories. We know more about her trips than she ever will." He said.

"He's got a point Oona." Paige said." He wasn't fair. I get the whole it's better for her thing, but if he is the cause of her pain, and I mean literally, if she's ill because of him, he needs to fix it." she said.

"And how do you suggest we find him then? And keep it from Zoe?" I asked.

"How did you get that key?" Tom asked. I knew he wasn't an idiot.

"It was waiting for me on my desk." I said." Along with a letter addressed to me, in which he reminded me once again not to mention him to her. He just wanted to acknowledge her birthday. And I suppose he wanted something to remind her of him, even if she can't remember anything." I said.

"So, he leaves a key to the TARDIS, and runs away yet again?" Paige asked.

"As far as I know, yes." I said." It's not fair if we make her remember too you know. If she finds out, she will know what she missed. She will know that she had seen amazing, unbelievable things, and she will not be able remember them. That's even worse than not knowing at all. It would kill her." I said.

"I suggest we wait." Paige said, and Tom and I looked at her." We wait and see. Maybe the pain goes away. Maybe all will be fine. And if it isn't, we will find him." She said.

"Again, if I might ask, how?" I asked. There is no way to find him! He's gone for good.

"When there's a will, there's a way." Tom said. I hope he's right. If being away from the Doctor puts my sister in even bigger danger than she was in when she was with him, we will need to find him. And if we do that, he'd better have a way to fix her.

_Zoe barged in through the door and scared the life out of me. I jumped of the sofa and almost ran into her, as she was coming my way. _

"_Are you mental?" I asked when I saw that she was grinning." You scared the shit out of me." _

"_Oona, I was in Egypt!" she yelled. She was excited and happy, and I was just confused. _

"_Yes, I know. Paige, Tom and I were there with you sweetie." I said slowly, hoping that she isn't drunk or something. She doesn't look drunk, she just looks like she's over the moon. _

"_No, no, you don't get it!" she said, wide eyed and with a big smile on her face." I was in Egypt, in Ancient Egypt!" _

"_Zoe, what did you drink?" I asked slowly. _

"_I'm not drunk Oona, I just…"_

"_Drugs?" I asked, and she rolled her eyes. _

"_Oona, I am not crazy, I am not drunk, and I am not on drugs. I'm telling you, I just went to Egypt."_

"_How?" I asked, not having a better question for now. _

"_Don't look at me like I'm crazy." She said. I did my best." This random guy was at my signing, and we talked and we started an argument, and I even yelled at him! And then he just pushed me into a blue police phone box that is actually a time machine and he took me to ancient Egypt!" she yelled. _

"_Oh my God." I whispered. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you guys for reading! Enjoy :)**

"Are you kidding me?" Matt asked, and threw the papers on the table. "Crazy, assassin robots? Time traveling? Aliens? Zoe, what drugs are you on?" he asked. Shit. This is not going well.

"You don't like it?" I asked, surprise that I actually cared whether he likes it or not. I felt disappointed. And not just because my editor didn't like it, but because a guy who reads quite a lot didn't like it.

"Zoe, it's not bullshit, if that's what you're asking me?" he said. It wasn't exactly a compliment, but it's better than "This is complete crap." "It's not you Zoe. You know better. You wright better, you have better ideas, you create your own worlds better. This looks like an idea that a bored high school student had. Or even worse, an unemployed middle aged man." He said. Well, now he's just throwing insults.

"Easy now!" I said, sounding really pissed off." I get it that you don't like it, I do. But don't insult me."

"I'm sorry, but this is just bad." He said, and we both sighed at the same time. I knew it was going to be bad. I wasn't expecting he will hate it as much as he did, but I knew it wasn't another brilliant work of mine.

And the worst part is that I was actually trying. I was investing all of my time in it. Not to mention that I dreamt about the stupid story, every single night. Even about the crazy, assassin robots.

I knew that it wasn't my best work, but I had hope that Matt may like it. Now I'm back to the start.

"Zoe, this clearly isn't working." He said. I avoided looking at him." They are pressuring me to pressure you. You need something better than this. I am still hoping for a Lonely Boy sequel. But if you still refuse to do that, you need to do something better than this." He said.

"What do you suggest I change?" I asked. God, it felt so wrong to ask him for advice. He is a pretentious ass, but sadly, he's good at his job. And right now, I need him to be fucking brilliant in his job. I need help, because I started to… well, to suck at this. And THIS is how I earn for a living.

"It's not a bad idea." He said, and I nodded, listening carefully to every word he speaks." Change it up a little bit. Make them older. Target an older audience; you always insist that your books aren't gender or age specific. Play with that. And for the love of God, no mad robots." He said. It was a bad idea from the start. But I dreamt of crazy, assassin robots and sort of became obsessed with them, and this is where I have ended up. I'm just thankful Matt stopped me before I even tried to publish it.

"Fine." I said, and took a big sip of my gin and tonic, happy that he was considerate enough to meet me in a restaurant near my apartment, and not at his office." I'll either work on this, or on a sequel." I said. I lied. I don't want him to know that I already wrote a few chapters of the sequel. It would feel like a personal defeat if I told him that, because I'm still trying to find a way not to do it.

"Please do." He said, and I nodded. I was searching for a lighter in my gigantic bag, but he found his before I found mine. Reluctantly, I let him light my cigarette. Today was a beautiful, sunny day, and I felt sorry for myself that I have to spend a part of it with him." Should we have lunch?" he asked.

"No, I don't think that that's a good idea." I said. I can be honest, at least about this." Besides, I have to work on this." I said and pointed at the papers in front of us. I won't start working on it before midnight, but Matt doesn't need to know that. I'm mostly just looking for an excuse. I have been avoiding his company as much as I could ever since I failed at life and decided to sleep with him. For the second time.

"Oh, come on!" he said, and I raised my eyebrows. Is he really that desperate to have lunch with me?" You and I both know you won't write as soon as you get home. Where else do you have to be?" he asked. Oh God. I can't believe I'm willingly going into this. One lunch wouldn't kill me, right?

"Fine." I said, and he smiled at me." I'll have a bloody steak and some red wine. You can order for me, I have to go to the ladies room." I said, and after he nodded, I grabbed my bag, and walked into the restaurant.

I thought about finding a second way out and just running away, but that's not possible. In a way, Matt's my boss. I'm going to have to see him many, many times again. I can't do it. Find a way Zoe! This is not a date, and he knows that. It's a business meeting, and you will eat some nice food. That's it.

It was awkward. Matt and I are good in three things. Arguing, working on a book, and unplanned and shameful sex. Having a conversation over lunch is not one of those things. Come to think of it, I don't remember if we ever sat down and talked about regular, everyday things. We never were friends.

"So, what have you been doing these days, apart from writing?" he asked. Yes, very awkward, for the both of us. I took a sip of my wine, and thought about my answer before I actually gave him one.

"Well, my brother was here last week. He's back in Scotland now." I said, and he nodded. He met my family at the book release party. And they heard a lot about him from me. It's safe to say they weren't fans of Matt." That really is it. Contrary to popular belief, I don't live an interesting and exciting life. I mostly, sleep, write, and ignore my headaches." I said with a small smile.

"That still is more than I ever have." He said. I nodded my head to encourage him to talk more, since my mouth was full." I don't go out that often. No wonder I'm still single." He said. I almost smirked. Yeah, I'm sure that that's the reason. It's definitely because he's a high maintenance ass hole.

"I suppose you weren't that lucky." I said, trying to be nice, and he shrugged. His phone rang.

"Oh, I got to take this. I'll be right back." He said and I nodded. I could see him inside, talking to someone and gesturing wildly. I checked my phone in the meantime. I'm starting to think that I may have had something better to do.

"Hey." Someone called, and I turned around. The guy from the table behind us was looking at me." You're bored, aren't you?" He asked, with a small smile. What kind of hitting on is this? Rescue me from the boring date that isn't exactly a date? I've never heard about that one. And even if I found him slightly rude, I must admit that he's very handsome. Brown hair, brown eyes, just my regular type. Matt was a mistake, not a type.

"What makes you say that?" I asked. Well, this is a story I'm going to tell a few times.

"Because you look like you'd rather have a surgery than sit with him a minute longer." He said. And he hit it. I started laughing. God, I know him from somewhere. I just can't place it. I have seen him before.

"And what if you're right?" I asked, and he smiled.

"I'll save you. Just let me do the talking when he comes back. And the name's John, just in case." He said. I was looking at him in surprise, completely dumbfounded. This guy is crazy." What's your name? I kinda need it." he said. This may be the stupidest thing I have ever done in my entire life.

"Zoe." I said, not sure why I did it. I didn't even have the time to think about it, because Matt returned.

"Sorry 'bout that." he said with a smile." Where was I?" he asked.

"You were complaining about your boring life." I reminded him, and he smiled at me.

"Very funny Mrs. Social life." He said. Well, he does have a point. I can't make fun of him if I'm as lame as he is." It's the truth. It mostly just me, beer, and Family Guy." He said, and I laughed.

"Just imagine what it's like for me."

"Yeah, it's hard out here for a bitch." He said. I let out an embarrassing snort laughter.

"Quoting Lily Allen. Good for you." I said, and we both laughed. We may be laughing, but it's not getting any easier. It feels even more uncomfortable when I remember that we actually had sex." So, what do you…" I started, but was cut by the mystery guy.

"Zoe?!" He asked in complete surprise, and I turned around. "Oh my, I haven't seen you in years!" he said. I don't know who he is, but he's good.

" John!" I almost yelled. I was following his lead, and I do hope those drama classes I took in school will pay off." My God, you haven't changed a bit." I said, and he grinned widely at me.

"You did, I almost didn't recognize you." He said, and I laughed. I'm bad at this." Hello there." He said to Matt, and when I turned to look at him, I could see that he was confused." I'm John, Zoe's friend. We go way back." He said, and offered Matt his hand. Matt accepted. At least he's nice.

"I'm Matt. Zoe's boss." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"In a way!" I corrected him. He's not really my boss." John, you have no idea how much I've missed you." I said to John. This is ridiculous. And it felt good. It's been ages since I've done anything impulsive. Or stupid, since he might end up being a serial killer. But I don't think he is. He doesn't look like one.

"I can imagine." He said. "I'm so sorry to interrupt you, you were in the middle of lunch." He said.

"No, no, no, don't worry at all. I'm just sorry I can't spend some time with you." I said, a sad smile on my face. I should sand Mrs. Thompson flowers. She really was a good teacher.

"Look, we could continue some other time." Matt suggested. Oh, I'm good. And John's good too.

"You wouldn't mind?" I asked, trying to look guilty. It wasn't that difficult. I felt guilty.

"No, of course not." He said, and I smiled at him." You two should catch up." he said, and I grinned.

"What do you say John, should we go get some coffee?" I asked, and he nodded with a grin. He paid the waitress for his drink, and I looked back at Matt." I'm sorry for this. I'll call you as soon as I come up with something." I said, knowing very well that I won't come up with anything good anytime soon.

"Relax. Just send me a text, you know, how's the story going and all." he said, and I nodded." Bye."

"Bye." I said, and I turned around to the complete stranger who rescued me from and awkward conversation that may have been a date in Matt's head. He showed me to go first, and I started walking. We didn't say a word, we just walked along. And as soon as we were far away, I started laughing.

And I was laughing like a maniac. John had a big grin on his face. He really is good looking. This might be a good story after all, not just a strange one.

"This was awesome!" I said, and he laughed.

"I was more than happy to help." He said, and I smiled. I don't do this. I'm not got at dates at all, let alone with this scenario when a complete stranger rescues me, and I don't know what to do." Well, if you don't have anywhere else to be, we could get that coffee?" he said. I'm an idiot. I really am an idiot. I wanted to do that, but I wasn't confident enough. This may have been a romantic first meeting that I could tell my grandchildren about, but I just wasn't feeling it. Yes, it was crazy, and impulsive and very much awesome. But I was a bit vary about the whole thing. Especially since I couldn't put 2 and 2 together. I know I know this man from somewhere. I just don't know when and where have I met him.

"Actually, my sisters are waiting for me at home." I said. I wasn't lying. Oona and Paige were waiting for me, probably slightly worried since I told them I'll be gone only for a little while. It's been an hour.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." He said. And I was confused. He looked like he thinks that I'm right, and just a second ago, he thought we should get coffee. And how old is he? I swear, in just one second, he looked older than he did minutes ago. There was something in his look. I'm losing my mind her, but I swear to God, he looked at me like he had known me all my life. And I'm not sure how I feel about that.

"You know what?" I asked, and I started looking all over my bag, until I finally found a pen. I took his hand, and in that second, I felt a strong headache. It took all the strength I had not to show him that I was in pain. I wasn't ready to freak out people by screaming in the middle of the street. I'll go to the doctor. My head is killing me, and I can't avoid it much longer. I pulled myself together before he could notice anything, and I started writing down my number." That's my number. Call me. Or don't. I don't know." I said, and he smiled at me. I shrugged as I put the pen back in my bag." In the Jepsen style, call me maybe." I said. He was still smiling when I turned around and walked away.

This might as well be the strangest thing that's ever happened to me. And it was awesome.

**Hope you liked it guys. And also, something I wanted to share with you. I already said that I imagine Nina Dobrev as Zoe, and Sam Claflin as Matt. Of course, the Doctors are the original ones :) Oona – Keira Knightly or maybe Rebecca Hall. Paige – Either Emilia Clarke or Kaya Scodelario. Tom – Douglas Booth. They're one good looking family :D And I think that either way, Oona and Zoe look like each other, as do Tom and Paige. Tell me what you think of the choices and of the story of course. :)**


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